1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an Edge Printing Device for printing supplemental information along the edge of a copy sheet produced in a document reproducing apparatus. Specifically, the invention is comprised of a friction roller assembly including a driven indicia roller having printable material on a replacable flexible strip which is attached to the driven roller. The document being reproduced causes the friction roller to rotate, which in turn rotates the indicia roller.
The friction and indicia roller assembly is mounted on a support arranged over the document exposure station. Each original document fed from an automatic document feeder apparatus positively rotates the friction and indicia roller assembly. The document material being reproduced is typically comprised of physicians' or dentists' statements, or the like, which are 51/2 inches in width. These documents are generally sent out as bills for services rendered on a monthly basis and it is advantageous to provide printed coded accounting material on the documents at the time of billing. For example, a serial number, and a date is helpful in the office accounting system for keeping track of the billing, and is easily printed on one lateral edge of a copy sheet which is 81/2 or 11 inches wide.
The document feeder is able to accommodate the narrow 51/2 inch wide statements since the feeder side frames are typically adjustable in a lateral dimension to accommodate different widths of such documents.
Accordingly, the present invention takes advantage of this difference in the lateral width of original document statement material with respect to the copy sheet.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,775,007, issued to Davidson, Nov. 27, 1973, discloses an imprinter for use with a copying machine. The imprinter has means to provide variable information on the copies generated from the machine.
While this imprinter is used with a copier, it must be restricted to use with that type of copier where the original document remains stationary during the exposure process. Moreover, it is not readily apparent as to how to utilize the intended device without having to project the object illumination system through the original document in order to copy the desired information of the imprinter.
It is desired to directly illuminate such information, and have it printed on the lateral edge of the copy sheet. The present invention accomplishes this, with a minimum of parts, and a clear, unobstructed optical path with respect to the information to be copied.